


carved into your locker.

by Prettything_uglylie



Series: fictober 2019 [8]
Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Homophobic Language, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, The Bowers Gang had always teased Richie for this, how i think R + E came to be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-26 17:04:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21377542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prettything_uglylie/pseuds/Prettything_uglylie
Summary: Eddie Kaspbrak enters the school on a Monday in September to complete anarchy.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Series: fictober 2019 [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1506824
Comments: 2
Kudos: 62





	carved into your locker.

**Author's Note:**

> good ol' catchin' up on Fictoberrrrrrrr

Eddie Kaspbrak enters the school on a Monday in September to complete anarchy. Most of the student body is continuing on with their lives per usual - Derry, Maine teaches the lesson of ignorance young - but as he enters the set of back doors from where the buses drop them off, a figure that is undeniably Bill Denbrough zooms by him. 

Eddie moves to Stan, who has his back pressed firmly up against what Eddie only knows to be Richie's locker so he determinedly. It must show on his face though because Stan moves slightly and Eddie's mouth drops open in horror at the offensive graffiti. 

And for once, Eddie absolutely loathes the familiar sound of Richie Tozier's voice when he enters the hall and feeling possessed, Eddie, slams Stanley back into his locker. Richie's birdsong voice comes out slightly confused, "'Mornin' fuckers and freaks! How we doin' today?" 

He watches his face morph in confusion, his wide eyes slanting harshly behind his glasses and he asks, "Why are we standing around my locker?" 

Stan opens his mouth to speak before closing it again and Eddie feels warm and embarrassed as his vision is skewed with tears. "Rich," he murmurs and Richie's hands are oddly gentle when he moves Stan out of the way and there it is - revealed to the entire hallways. 

_ **RICHIE THE FAG TOZIER. ** _

And Eddie aches while watching Richie's smiling face fall and his eyes go wide in abject horror. Then he swallows, Eddie can see the tears and bile appearing in the form of that swallow. Eddie wants to curl his fingers around Bowers' throat for Richie's heartbroken expression alone. 

The sound of Bill's sneakers scraping against the tiles becomes clear and when Eddie can finally pull himself away from the heartbreak of Richie's horrified expression, he sees that Bill is holding red paint for the locker. 

Richie glances at Bill, too, eyes flicking from Bill's sympathetic and sorry expression to the red tube of paint and paintbrush clenched in his fist before Bill murmurs, "I'm so-so-sorry, Rich." 

They all are. 

* * *

Later in the hallway, after they have skipped the first period and painted over the black Sharpie on Richie's locker, Richie is pretending to be okay despite him crying in a bathroom stall as the three of them try to comfort him. Richie is playing pretend until - 

One of the older boys in their school - Eddie suspects it might have been Moose Sadler but his head was leaned down, the brim of his cap hiding his disgusting mug, in Eddie's opinion - slides between Bill and Richie to bump Richie's shoulder hard. 

The slut he murmurs, _("fucking faggot")_ feels like a bomb dropped at their feet and Stan has to grab Bill's arm firmly to stop him from going after him. 

Richie's laughter cuts off halfway through laughing at one of Stan's sarcastic retorts. 

* * *

Richie has to force Bill away from him that night onto the bus whereas Stan had left when asked but Eddie is almost confused when Richie's fingers curl into Eddie's sleeve and he asks, "Will you let me walk you home?" 

There is something strangely serious in his voice for Richie where he asks and Eddie nods. 

He hates that part of him feels a glowing warmth at the fact that Richie asked _him_ out of all of them, but he tries to suppress that feeling. Right now, Richie needs a friend not someone with a massive crush on him. 

"Ready to go, Eds?" Richie says, leaning on the locker beside him and Eddie nods, not correcting him, 

"Yeah." 

* * *

The echo of their laughter follows Richie to Derry's kissing bridge on his way home from dropping Eddie off at his house. Eddie had invited him inside but with Sonia's weight a shadow of a danger over the smaller boy's shoulder in her recliner, he had heartbreakingly laughed it off and made a weak excuse to go home. 

He feels warm, his chest lightly with the warm glow of affection whereas his stomach is alit with the fury of fluttering butterflies. 

You should have kissed him, his brain tries but then Richie's internal monologue is interrupted by him murmuring out loud, "He'd kill you." 

He spies the bridge with a new eye he wouldn't have the perspective to have but he wishes something new. 

He kneels beside the railing on one side, frantically rummaging through his backpack as he hopes that perhaps he carries the knife he once has. 

He wants to carve, to see something etched that makes him feel this warmth instead of desperate coldness. 

His hand finds the knife and he smiles. 

* * *

The railing now carries a small 'r + e' in a heart and Richie doesn't get home until the sun begins to see; some time swallowed by the actual carving and others admiring it. 

Not all permanent things are bad. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please enjoy! If you liked it, kudos and comments make my day, no joke!


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